1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a floor covering removal apparatus and more particularly, to an electric floor covering removal apparatus which is typically characterized by a five horsepower, TEFC (totally enclosed, fan-cooled), 220 volt, single phase, 30 amp, ground fault-compatible electric motor for driving a pair of hydrostatic pumps independently connected to a pair of hydraulic wheel motors operated by a control arm lever steering system, for independently operating the hydrostatic pumps and the wheel motors and driving a pair of pneumatic rear tires. The electric motor also drives a fan and a hydraulic gear pump for cooling the hydraulic system and raising and lowering a landing gear system by means of hydraulic cylinders. A hydraulic fluid reservoir is disposed beneath the electric motor, hydrostatic pumps and the hydraulic gear pump and a floor covering removal system, including a blade for engaging and removing floor tile, is adjustably mounted on the front of the electric floor covering removal apparatus for contacting and traversing the floor and removing the tile or other floor covering, in a controlled manner. The shroud or housing of the device is insulated and cooled and the driver""s seat is positioned on the shroud or housing, for optimum operator comfort. Pneumatic tires are provided on the rear of the apparatus in association with the independently-operated drive motors to further optimize traction and operator comfort. A power cord management system is provided on the apparatus in the form of a swinging boom and a light is attached to the blade angle adjustment system which raises and lowers the blade or alternative floor covering-engaging device, for illuminating the working area. The electric floor covering removal apparatus is sized to fit in most passenger elevators, as well as doors as small as 34 inches in width, and is therefore easily transportable to various floors of a multi-floor building and operated inside the structure without undesirable emissions that accompany gasoline and low pressure gas-powered floor covering removal machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various floor covering removal apparatus are well known in the art. These machines range from the simple to the complex and in one of the more simple embodiments, include the surface preparation machine detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,958. This device includes a tool (blade, chisel or sanding attachment) attached to a tool holder. The tool holder is, in turn, attached by a bearing to a shaft which passes through a flywheel and the shaft is offset from the center of the flywheel, causing an eccentric rotation of the tool holder. The flywheel and tool holder xe2x80x9cfloatxe2x80x9d as an assembly on rubber couplings and impart to the tool components the various motions of slicing, chopping, scraping and rubbing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,052, details a xe2x80x9cCarpet Take-Up Devicexe2x80x9d for use on carpeting that has been glued down. The device includes a spool, an apparatus for rotating the spool, a blade adapted to wedge beneath the carpet and having a knife at each of opposite longitudinal ends, a roller bar and a rear wheel support. The rotation apparatus rotates a spool to roll up the carpet as the blade is pulled forwardly beneath the carpet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,796, dated Jul. 23, 1991, details a power-operated floor stripping apparatus having a frame, a drive provided on the frame, wheels supporting the frame, a handle to guide the frame and a cutter blade carried by a head which is pivotally mounted to the frame. The head has a lower end facing the floor upper and lower plates carried by the head at the lower end to grip the cutter blade and two posts carried by the lower plate to project upwardly through the openings formed in the upper plate, along with sleeves extending around the post above the upper plate. Nuts are attached to the post for tightening to transmit an upward force to the post and a downward force to the sleeves, such that the plates are caused to grip the blade, which has a cutting edge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,206, dated Jun. 24, 1997, to Craft, details spool valve-operated apparatus for removing a surface layer from a floor, which includes a body rear weight bearing guide wheels and a front weight bearing wheel. A front weight bearing scraping apparatus is pivotally mounted on the body by a cylinder and the body can be raised and lowered to apply weight to a blade contacting the floor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,637, dated Feb. 3, 1998, to Worden et al, details a xe2x80x9cwalk behindxe2x80x9d tractor having a power take-off and a blade assembly for contacting a floor or surface and removing the floor covering from the surface. A multi-purpose, horizontal surface stripper is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,284, dated Jun. 30, 1998. The apparatus includes a chassis having a frame, a stripping assembly, a drive assembly and a hydraulic system for controlling the operation of the stripping and drive assemblies. A blade is also provided in a blade mount and a carrier with a roll axle extending through the carrier for changing the roll of the blade. U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,313, dated Nov. 3, 1998, details a self-propelled floor covering scraper machine having front and rear wheels and a drive mechanism for forward or reverse motion. A scraper blade is attached to the front of the device and a mechanism for controlling the steering is also provided.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved electric floor covering removal apparatus which is sized to fit in conventional passenger elevators and doors as small as 34 inches in width and can be quickly and easily transported to various floors of a multi-floor building and used without fear of creating unhealthy emissions in the building.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved zero turning radius electric floor covering removal apparatus which has an exceptionally low center of gravity and is capable of removing various types of floor covering, including one or more layers of floor tile, carpet and the like, and is further characterized by an electric or diesel motor which drives a fan, a pair of independently-controlled, infinitely-variable hydrostatic pumps connected to independent wheel motors for driving rear wheels having pneumatic tires and a hydraulic gear pump for raising and lowering the landing gear of the apparatus during operation of the machine.
A still further object of this invention is providing an electric floor covering removal apparatus which includes a seat interlock switch and a key switch and indicator light, a pivoting landing gear, an insulated, internally-cooled shroud or housing, rear wheels with pneumatic or foam-filled tires and independently-controlled wheel motors powered by independent, infinitely variable hydrostatic pumps for driving the rear wheels, driven by a typically five horsepower electric motor, which device is fitted with a power cord management boom, a light, and a hydraulic fluid or oil reservoir, as well as an adjustable blade or floor covering removal device provided on the blade.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a new and improved, riding electric floor covering removal apparatus which is sized to fit in a conventional passenger elevator and doors as small as 34 inches in width and can be transported to any desired floor in a multi-story building and is used in a preferred embodiment without fear of causing undesirable, unhealthy emissions. In this preferred embodiment the device is characterized by a five horsepower, 220 volt, single-phase, 30 amp, ground fault-compatible electric motor which drives a pair of hydrostatic pumps, independently controlled by handles that further independently control separate wheel motors attached to a rear wheel motor mount box axle which mounts a pair of rear wheels with pneumatic tires. The electric motor also drives a fan that circulates air through the insulated housing and cools the hydraulic system, as well as a hydraulic gear pump that controls a pair of hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering a pivotally-mounted landing gear in the apparatus. The cooling system provides exceptional operator comfort and low temperature operation of hydraulic components. The blade or alternative floor covering engaging and removal device can be mechanically adjusted into and from the floor covering from the operator""s seat and may be fitted with a light, and a pivoting electric cord handling boom is provided for deploying the electric cord in the appropriate location as the apparatus is operated.